Biotech Food Fights May Be Over Soon as Facts Frustrate Fearmongers Case

By Michael Fumento

The Frito Bandito fired off a shot at farmers and biotechnology this week,
but he got hit by the ricochet.

Fearing an ambush from scare-mongering varmints, Frito-Lay has told its contract farmers not to plant any biotech corn. Apparently the company would rather have corn that has been treated with chemical insecticides than corn with built-in protection against worms.

Naturally, Frito-Lay got kudos from flaky activists, and maybe even some from some crop-eating
insects. But a couple of days later, Fritos former spokesman, Jay Leno, never one to let
hypocrisy go unchallenged, mocked the company. He wondered
in front of an audience of millions if the company would next be removing
the "bright orange dye" from its fabled Cheetos.

Biotechnology Benefits

Biotech or not? Only your insect pests know for sure

The truth, which cowed scientists and businessmen can see easily, is that biotechnology offers great benefits to farmers today through higher yields and less pesticide use. In the near future, it will yield tremendous food and nutritional benefits, such as snack chips that absorb less fat when cooked. Also, the fat that is used will also be better for cholesterol and other
health concerns.

Biotech foods are carefully reviewed by three federal agencies — the Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency — so there is no scientifically justifiable reason to oppose them.

The Frito incident, which may affect public perception of biotech, is unfortunate for farmers and consumers. But its merely a little rut in the road.

Two other recent events may help smooth the way for continued growth of biotechnology.

Consider the unanimous approval of an international Biosafety
Protocol in Montreal on Jan. 29. The protocol, approved by delegates from
133 nations, marks the first global affirmation of the potential and value
of biotechnology. It provides a framework international trade for biotech crops, and it
establishes a clearinghouse for hard scientific information so countries can
make decisions based more on facts, not groundless fears.

Sound Information

With such ready access to sound information, countries may be likelier to
adopt the benefits of the technology for their farmers, consumers, and the
environment. American farmers benefit from this from this information in particular, as it increases their confidence in not losing markets because of scattershots fired off by black-hatted fearslingers.

The pro-biotech reversal by Archer-Daniels-Midland Co., one of the nations largest
purchasers and exporters of grain, is also a significant development. ADM, which upset many farmers last fall by telling them they had to segregate conventional and biotech grain, has dropped that requirement.

ADM Chairman G. Allen Andreas told the Chicago Tribune that "the pendulum
is beginning to turn back" on the biotech controversy, adding that less than 5% of ADMs sales were to customers who objected to genetically modified foods.

Most normal customers want grain that is produced in the most efficient — that is, cheapest — way. Needless segregation is neither efficient nor cheap. ADM and other grain handlers are wisely recognizing that there is no future in creating superfluous costs to quell the yelps of the environmentalist banditos.

Public Health

Even the Los Angeles Times, no biotech industry sycophant, noted in an editorial
that products from biotechnology have been in foods for nearly a decade with no
adverse effect on public health. "The Food and Drug Administration already
requires the labeling of genetically modified [biotech] food that may
differ in some way from its conventional counterpart. But regulators
consider the vast majority of GM food no different from conventional
food," it said.

Thus "the labeling proposals [in California] would only confuse a simple
process," said the Times, adverting to anti-biotech proposals in California.

A few companies have made headlines by asking for non-biotech grain. So have some store chains catering to yuppies with overstuffed wallets and a burning desire to join the chic anti-biotech cause

But a recent Roper Starch Worldwide poll says industry is probably overestimating
public concerns. The poll found that 73 percent of adult consumers surveyed
would accept biotechnology as a tradeoff for not using chemicals, suggesting
that the Frito Bandito will soon be shooting blanks.